Tank team blows rivals out

Scores were settled, along with some season-long grudges

A few differences were sorted out on the track as the season ended at Arena Manawatu on Saturday night.

The big crowd for the finale was warmed, on a bitterly cold night, by the Tank team taking a 2-1 lead over the Rest in the superstock teams race.

Meanwhile, other drivers settled scores they may have held all season in three rugged stockcar races.

A disappointing sight was adult ministock drivers going all-out to roll opponents, and in two cases causing major damage.

It's hardly enough that drivers get fined or suspended, but in a class which is supposedly non-contact, it's those on the receiving end that bear the brunt of the major cost in repairing ministocks.

Maybe it's time the fines are increased for those with blatant disregard for the contact rules, with the money going to the drivers who are attacked.

The Tank teams race with the Rest started with a bang as a World War II Valentine tank led the team around the track firing its gun with a thunderous roar.

After being on the other end of a thumping by the Rest last season, the Tank team, with a much better gameplan, came back with a vengeance on Saturday to destroy the Rest.

Panthers captain Scott Miers blasted away from the start to a good lead, while behind him team-mates Jared Wade (Huntly), Ross Ashby (Rotorua) and Nelson rookie Blair Cunningham blocked the Rest cars out of the running.

Murray Long (Hawke's Bay) tried his hardest to chase down Miers, but was slowed by Ashby. Dion Mooney was thumped into the wall by Cunningham, while Wade and Ashby made it tough for Rest captain Peter Rees and Dale Ewers (Nelson).

The Manawatu minisprint title was a close run thing, with Huntly visitor Zac Kennedy narrowly shading Chad Ace and Declan Roe in his immaculately presented car.

The Manawatu solo title was finally decided, but not without mishap. Two of the favourites in the first final heat, Hawke's Bay pair Craig Ramsay and Andrew Bargh, crashed at the first corner.

Young Aucklander Dylan Moohan won the heat, then stayed out of trouble in the next two to narrowly win the title from young rookie Dylan Hancock, whose fist pump showed how rapt he was to pick up his first major placing.

There was action aplenty in the three stockcar races on Saturuday.

There was so much carnage that just seven of the original 39 starters ended the last race.

Gary Davis was the only Palmerston North winner, with Ricky Kuru (Hawke's Bay) and national champion Richard Gaskin (Wellington) winning the others.

Shane Penn finished the season as he started it with two wins in the superstocks.

The other victory went to the improving Dave Tarrant.

Skinny Colson (Stratford) and Nelson Hartley won sprintcar heats, with Colson taking out the feature from 40-year veteran Ian Easton.

- © Fairfax NZ News